The Book of Barely Imagined Beings

A 21st Century Bestiary

In the spirit of medieval bestiaries, presents a series of bizarre creatures that are very much a part of the real world, including the honey badger, giant squid, axolotl, zebrafish, waterbear, and yeti crab."From medieval bestiaries to Borges's Book of Imaginary Beings, we've long been enchanted by extraordinary animals, be they terrifying three-headed dogs or asps impervious to a snake charmer's song. But bestiaries are more than just zany zoology--they are artful attempts to convey broader beliefs about human beings and the natural order. Today, we no longer fear sea monsters or banshees. But from the infamous honey badger to the giant squid, animals continue to captivate us with the things they can do and the things they cannot, what we know about them and what we don't. From medieval bestiaries to Borges's Book of Imaginary Beings, we've long been enchanted by extraordinary animals, be they terrifying three-headed dogs or asps impervious to a snake charmer's song. But bestiaries are more than just zany zoology--they are artful attempts to convey broader beliefs about human beings and the natural order. Today, we no longer fear sea monsters or banshees. But from the infamous honey badger to the giant squid, animals continue to captivate us with the things they can do and the things they cannot, what we know about them and what we don't. With The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, Caspar Henderson offers readers a fascinating, beautifully produced modern-day menagerie. But whereas medieval bestiaries were often based on folklore and myth, the creatures that abound in Henderson's book--from the axolotl to the zebrafish--are, with one exception, very much with us, albeit sometimes in depleted numbers."--Publisher's description.

If you have a background in any of the biological sciences, then this book is like a box of chocolates. Even without such a background the writing is very accessible and entertaining (loved his witty humor). So if you enjoy learning fascinating & sometimes weird details about little-known animals, you'll like this book. The author chose an animal for each letter of the alphabet (from A to Z) & devoted a chapter to it. It also served as a vehicle for him to interweave myth, folklore and meditations on who we (as humans) are & how we imagine our future selves and others who will come after us. This is the kind of book that can be read & enjoyed over & over.